Configure device drivers

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Use Device Manager to explore traditional device driver options like updating, rolling back, uninstalling, and disabling device drivers. View driver events including when the driver was first installed, if it was migrated, when it was originally configured, and the first time it was started.

- [Instructor] Hardware information is ubiquitousthroughout the Windows interface.For instance you can open the devicesand printers windows shown hereto see what's connected to your machine.You can see that I have quite a few things connected.You can type MS info 32, which is shortfor Microsoft system information in the search windowon the task bar to obtain even more detailsincluding what resources devices are usingand what components are attached.

To work directly with the drivers of these devices though,you'll need to navigate to device manager.You can open device manager in many waysbut I prefer to right click on the start buttonlike so and access it from there.You might see that some hardware isn't working properlywhich is indicated by either a yellowexclamation point or a red x.If you see anything like that double click it.If not just do what I'll do hereand double click a network adapter.

There are quite a few tabs here,but don't worry, not all devices have as manytabs as you see here.Take a look at the driver tab.This is where you can update a driverif a device isn't working optimally.And then you can roll it back to the previous driverif the new one doesn't work.You can also disable a device if you don't use itand even uninstall it if it's problematic.Generally on reboot, an uninstalled componentwill reinstall itself with default settings.This can resolve common configuration problemswithout any additional input from you.

Under the events tab you can seewhen the driver was installed or updated.You can see when it was migrated and more.You can review the information hereif you suspect someone has made a changethat wasn't documented.If you find out that a problematic devicewas recently updated with a new driveryou can opt to roll back the driverto resolve the problem.Now click the power management tab.You can choose to let the devicewake the computer or you can let the computerturn off the device to save power when applicable.

If you're having problems with the devicewaking from sleep or having other power issuestake a look here to see if you can change the settingsto resolve the problem.Feel free to explore all these tabs as thereare several options that you can configure.

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Released

10/27/2016

Microsoft is revamping the Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) certification, which includes exam 70-698: Installing and Configuring Windows 10. A key domain of this exam is implementation, which covers installing, upgrading, and configuring Windows 10. This course covers the key concepts of Windows 10 implementation for IT professionals who hope to pass 70-698. Learn how to choose between an upgrade and a clean install, create installation media, migrate to Windows 10, and configure and manage device drivers. Instructor and Microsoft MVP Joli Ballew also helps you configure key settings and applications your clients will need, including the Start menu preferences, notifications, Cortana, Internet Explorer, and Hyper-V. She also explores enterprise-level solutions such as Windows Imaging and Configuration Designer (ICD) provisioning, Active Directory-based activation of Windows, and KMS activation.